Love the Lord with All Your Heart (Part 1)

Brian Andrews
10/03/11 - Knoxville TV

Last week we looked at how Jesus summarized the 10 Commandments into two simple commands (Matthew 22:37):

1.        Love the Lord with all your heart (Commandments 1-4)
2.        Love your neighbor as yourself (Commandments 5-10)

 

In this lesson will look more deeply at “Love the Lord with all your heart” by examining the first two commandments of the 10 commandments.  In the next two programs we will finish the deeper look of “Love the Lord with all your heart” by studying the 3^rd and 4^th commandments. 

 

Exodus 20:1-6

Commandment 1:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” – KJV

“You shall have no other gods before Me”. – NKJV

You shall have no other gods before Me. – NASB

You shall have no other gods before me.  – ESV

Do not have other gods besides Me. – HCSB

You shall have no other gods before me. – NIV

Commandment 2:

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” – KJV

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image” – NKJV
“You shall not make for yourself an idol” – NASB
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image” – ESV
“Do not make an idol for yourself” – HCSB
“You shall not make for yourself an idol” – NIV

What do these commands mean?

•          Simply – no other Gods, period.
•          Isaiah 44:12-20 – Foolishness of Man
•          We may wish to have something physical we can touch and see, but God’s presence is tangible to those who have faith (Hebrews 11:1-3)

 

These commands seem similar, redundant – Why two commands?

•          Apparently needed: Exodus 32:1-4 – the golden calf was called the God who brought them out of Egypt!
•          We can be following something today we call the gospel but it is not – Galatians 1:6-7

 

God gives insight to why

Punishment:

•          Exodus 20:5 – God is a Jealous God
  (Also 22 others: Exodus 34:14 , Deuteronomy 4:24, Deuteronomy 5:9, Deuteronomy 6:15, Deuteronomy 29:20, Deuteronomy 32:16,21, Joshua 24:19, 1 Kings 14:22, Psalm 78:58, Psalm 79:5, Ezekiel 8:3,5, Ezekiel 16:38,42, Ezekiel 23:25, Ezekiel 36:5,6, Ezekiel 38:19, Ezekiel 39:25, Nahum 1:2, Zephaniah 1:18, Zephaniah 3:8, 1 Corinthians 10:22,James 4:5)
•          God tolerates nothing other than being #1

 

Reward:

•          Exodus 20:6 – Mercy
•          Exodus 20:2 – Freedom
  (78 other reminders in: Exodus 16:6, Exodus 16:32, Exodus 18:1, Exodus 19:4, Exodus 20:2, Exodus 29:46, Exodus 32:4*, Exodus 33:1, Leviticus 19:36, Leviticus 22:33,Leviticus 23:43, Leviticus 25:38, Leviticus 25:42, Leviticus 25:55, Leviticus 26:13,Leviticus 26:45, Numbers 15:41, Numbers 20:16, Numbers 21:5, Deuteronomy 1:27,Deuteronomy 4:20, Deuteronomy 4:37, Deuteronomy 5:6, Deuteronomy 5:15,Deuteronomy 6:12, Deuteronomy 6:21, Deuteronomy 7:8, Deuteronomy 8:14,Deuteronomy 9:12, Deuteronomy 9:26, Deuteronomy 13:5, Deuteronomy 13:10,Deuteronomy 16:1, Deuteronomy 20:1, Deuteronomy 26:8, Deuteronomy 29:25, Joshua 24:5, Joshua 24:6, Joshua 24:7, Joshua 24:17, Joshua 24:32, Judges 2:1, Judges 2:12,Judges 6:8, 1 Samuel 8:8, 1 Samuel 10:18, 1 Samuel 12:6, 1 Samuel 12:8, 2 Samuel 7:6,1 Kings 8:16, 1 Kings 8:21, 1 Kings 8:51, 1 Kings 8:53, 1 Kings 9:9, 1 Kings 12:28*, 2 Kings 17:7, 2 Kings 17:36, 2 Chronicles 6:5, 2 Chronicles 7:22, Nehemiah 9:18, Psalm 80:8,Psalm 81:10, Jeremiah 2:6, Jeremiah 7:22, Jeremiah 11:4, Jeremiah 11:7, Jeremiah 16:14, Jeremiah 23:7, Jeremiah 32:21, Jeremiah 34:13, Ezekiel 20:10, Daniel 9:15, Hosea 12:13, Amos 2:10, Amos 3:1, Micah 6:4, Acts 7:36, Acts 13:17   *said of a false god)
•          Why was this a big deal?
  •    Verses refer to:
    •   the house of bondage
    •   out of the place of slavery
    •   out of the iron furnace
  •    God’s power as:
    •   with great power and with a mighty hand
    •   with His mighty power
    •   with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders
    •   signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror

 

Are there examples of these commandments being broken?

•          Judges 2:10-13 – Baal and Ashtoreths: A generation arose that did not know God, they were in comfort
•          1 Samuel 7:3 – Baal and Ashtoreths: Cycle of waxing and waning for the Lord, peace and falling away followed by persecution and looking for God
•          1 Kings 12:28 – Jeroboam: Fear of losing his following due to people traveling in other country, self-centeredness of the King, lack of care for the souls of his people
•          Many more exist!

 

Key Point:

•          Teach! Teach! Teach!
•          Do not allow someone to not know the fundamentals

 

Are these commands part of the new law?

•          No – the old testament has passed away (see previous outline)
•          Yes – these commands are clearly repeated
  •    There is no other God – 1 Corinthians 8:1-4; Acts 4:7ff
  •    No Idols – 1 Corinthians 10:1-22 (14), 1 John 5:21
  •    Idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:4-6, Rev. 21:8)
  •    1 Corinthians 5:11 – do not keep company with a brother who is an idolater
  •    2 Corinthians 6:16 (1 Thessalonians 1:9) – what relation does the temple of God have with idols?
  •    Acts 14:8-18 – Paul and Barnabas were being worshiped.  This was unacceptable and quickly condemned in a most passionate manner.
•          Something does not have to be called a god or carved in order to violate this principle (Colossians 3:5)
•          Love God with all your heart and soul (Mark 12:28-34)

Conclusion:

•          The old law was put in place to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24-25).
•          We learned about how God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.
•          In the same way Christ delivers us from sin today! – Romans 6:1-6
•          Just as the Israelites had to follow God’s commanded given to the people through Moses so we have to follow Christ’s commands (Hebrews 1:1-4, Hebrews 2:1-4) (Exodus 20:6 – John 14:15)

 

 

Next Topic:  Commandment 3: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain”